Prominent British NRI and four others honoured

NRI entrepreneur Balwant Grewal has been awarded along with four others for their outstanding contributions to the society.

Prominent NRI entrepreneur Balwant Grewal, affectionately known as Bobby, who recently raised 250,000 pounds for charity through his marathon 800-km walk was awarded in London along with four others for their outstanding contributions to the society.

72-year old Bobby, Chairman of the India Association, a registered charity, was presented with the award by Mark Price, Director Barclays Commercial, at the Joint Celebration of the 61st Independence days of India and Pakistan organised by the 'Pakistan India and UK Friendship Forum' at the SAS Radisson Hotel in London on Monday night.

The funds raised from his recent walk from Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh to the Houses of Parliament in London was donated to St Marks Research Institute in Harrow for Bowel Cancer Research.

Bobby has been passionately involved in Charity work for many years and in 2004-05 walked from Amritsar to Kanyakumari covering a distance of 4,000 km, raising 100,000 pounds which he donated to the Northwick Park hospital in Harrow, to assist research into cancer and HIV.

Other recipient of the award was Muniza Bashir, mother of late melody Queen, Nazia Hassan who conquered the hearts of Indians and Pakistanis alike with her music.

Mohammad Sarwar, UK's first Muslim MP, Mrs Adeeba Malik an activists fighting for ethnic rights and David Wardrop, who chairs the Westminster Branch of the United Nations Association were also facilitated.